Swingable automobile door top section for increasing doorway headroom



Sept. 21, 1954 BLACKMAN 2,689,766

E. L. SWINGABLE AUTOMOBILE DOOR TOP SECTION FOR INCREASING DOORWAY HEADROOM Filed NOV. 23 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG .3

INVENTOR. Edward L. Blpckmon J BY ATTORNEY Sept. 21, 1954 E. L. BLACKMAN 2,639,756

SWINGABLE AUTOMOBILE DOOR TOP SECTION FOR INCREASING DOORWAY HEADROOM Filed NOV. 23, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 F| G 9 INVENTOR.

Edward L. Blockmcm ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 21, 1954 SWINGABLE AUTOMOBILE DOOR TOP SEC- TION FOR INCREASING DOORWAY HEAD- ROOM Edward L. Blackman, New York, N. Y. Application November 23, 1951, Serial No. 257,867

3 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in the construction of motor vehicle doors whereby increased headroom for the exit and entrance of riders is provided for and is an improvement on my Patent No. 2,535,347, issued December 26, 1950.

One of the objects of my invention is the provision of means within the vehicle door and carried by said door whereby a section mounted on the door is automatically lifted and moved out of the way when the door is opened and automatically returned to a securely closed position when the door is closed.

Another object of my invention is to provide an improved and simplified interlocking mechanism, whereby the top section of the door is lifted and shut when the automobile door is opened and closed.

Another object of my invention is to provide a seal for the top of said door which is not only leakproof but provides a greatly strengthened door top.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a positive seal for the door top whereby any rattle is prevented no matter how rough the road over which the vehicle travels.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent from the following description, claims and the accompanying drawings, in which- Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the side of an automobile showing the door frame, door and lifted door top as it would appear in opened position;

Fig. 2 is a partial section taken at right angles to the door showing the top operating mechanism as it would appear with the door closed;

Fig. 3 is a section similar to Fig. 2 showing the door and top operating mechanism with the door in open position; I

Fig. 4 is a partial cross section of the door and top piece taken along line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a partial cross section of the movable door top and roof of the vehicle showing the top piece in position when the door is closed.

Fig. 6 is a modified form showing in cross section one method of holding the top piece in position;

Fig. 7 is a cross section of Fig. 6 with the movable top piece separated to show the position of the parts when the door is open;

Fig. 8 is a section taken along the line 88 of Fig. 6;

Fig 9 is a modified form of the top operating mechanism showing the door in open position;

Fig. 10 is similar to Fig. 9 showing the top operating mechanism with the door in closed position.

Referring 'to the drawings, I is the vehicle door supported on the frame 2 by means of the usual hinges 3. The door I has attached to it a cutaway portion 5 of the vehicle top 6 this cutaway portion being beveled as at 5a and indented at 5?) to fit into and correspond to the beveled cutaway 6a and projection 61) of the top 6, best shown by Fig. 3. The top piece 5 also has attached to its beveled portion a weather strip 7 made of rubber or other suitable material, so that when 511 and 5b and 6a and 6b are in contact with each other, on closure of the doors, the weather stripping I covers the point of joinder and prevents entry of moisture.

The cutaway portion 5 of the door I is swingably supported on the top of the door by means of a hinge 8 of the type commonly referred to as a piano hinge wherein alternate strips of the door I and top section 5 are turned over and held in position by an axial rod 9 so that the hinge sections 8 rotate freely on the rod 9 when the top section is raised or lowered;

Located within the door I is a push rod Ill having a shoulder II and an alignment rod I2 of smaller diameter than the push rod I0. Surrounding the alignment rod I2 is a coil spring I3 contained by the shoulder II at one end and by a centrally bored alignment bracket I4 affixed to the door in any suitable manner at the other end. The push rod I0 is therefore held in alignment by the bracket I4 at one end and by passing through an orifice Ma in the edge of the door at the other end and at the terminus of the push rod it is rounded off at I5 for the purpose of bearing on a contact wear plate I6 recessed into door frame 2, the purpose of which will be later explained.

The rod It is pierced by aswivel pin I'I afiixed to a thrust arm I8 which at its opposite and upper end is swivelly connected with a second thrust arm I9 by swivel pin 20 to form a knee action joint. The thrust arm I9 is held from horizontal movement by means of guides 2| which may be of any convenient number and located in any position where maximum horizontal stress is to be controlled.

The thrust arm l9 terminates in a right angle bend 22 to form a loose lever connection 23 with brackets 24 and 25 attached in any suitable man-,

her to the base of the top piece 5. The brackets 24 and 25 and lever 23 being adapted to sink into a recess 26 when the door is closed as shown by Fig. 2. I I I I In operation when the door I is opened, the spring I3 expands because of its abutment on the bracket I4 and shoulder I I forcing the push rod It forward. This causes rod I 8 to straighten unto a more vertical position and the thrust rod I9 moves upwards within itsguide 2 I. Movement of the rod Ii] upwards causes an upward thrust; on the lever connection 23 and forces top piece 5 upward rotating on the hinge 8 and rod 9. In this manner as the door I is swung to open position the top piece is raised out of the way of entering passengers. On closing the door the opposite action takes place with the exception that the push'rod l instead of being actuated by the spring l3 now compresses the spring by reason of the rod I0 being thrust rearwardly by the rounded tip l bearingon-the wear plate It as the door is closed. I

Referring to the modified form shown by Figs. 6 through 10, the top of the vehicle 6 is beveled outwardly as shown by Fig. '7 and the movable top portion 5 beveled inwardly so that when the edges of 5 and 6 are in contact a tight seal is effected. In order to prevent rattle or any tendency to loosen a U bracket 2'! is positioned near the leadingedge of the top section 5 and aiiixed to said section by means of riveting, spot welding or other suitable means as shown at 23. This U bracket supports a swivel pin 2%! upon which is rotatably mounted a wedge shaped lever 38 one, of whose faces protrudes, when the top section is open, through an orifice 3! in the leading edge of the section 5. The second rear face of the wedge 3c is in contact with a leaf spring 32 suitably afiixed to the movable top piece '6 as at 33. The small end of the wedge terminates in a hook 34. so that when the edge of the part 5 comes in contact with the edge of the top t, the wedge 30 is rocked on the pin 29 against the spring 32 causing hook 33' to slide under the top E, as shown in Fig. 6, thus partially locking and holding the movable top section 5 against the immovable secs tion 6 and effectively preventing rattle.

The structure as described and shown in Figs. 6, '7' and 8, is desirable when the modification shown by Figs. 9 and 10 are used since it may be desirable to delay the action of top section closure until after the automobile door is closed completely. For this purpose, therefore, the rod I0 is made of uniform size throughout its length and held in alignment by bracket [4 at one end and by passing through an orifice 14a in the edge of the door I.- Surrounding and slidably coupled to the rod It is a collar 35 having affixed to its side a stud 36 for rotatably holding a connector'piece 31 attached at the upper end to the push red It.

Bearing on the collar 35 at the end nearest the bracket [4 is the spring [3 and at its other end a second and stronger spring 38 both springs l3- and 38 being coil springs surrounding the rod it), 13 being contained from horizontal escape by the collar 35 at one end and by the bracket M at the other end. Spring 38, however, is contained from horizontal escape at one end by the collar 55 and at the other end by a stop disc 39 suitably held on the rod It at 46 by any suitable means such as a weld orbraize.

It may thus be seen that the initial thrust of the rod [0, in the modified form, is taken up by the spring 38 which then transmits this thrust to the collar 35 and as a result an appreciable time elapses before the rod [8 acts to effect closure of the top piece 5.

Otherchanges in the method of closure may be effected without departing from the scope of my invention.

I claim:

1. In a device of the character described in combination with a door, a frame for said door,

a hinge on which said door is mounted in saidframe and a fixed top having a recess above the door, a top section of the door corresponding to said recess and hingedly mounted on the top of 4 the door near one edge thereof and constructed and arranged to open and close said recess and to swing up and down when the door is opened and closed respectively; means mounted on said door for swinging said section and actuated by the movement of said door, comprising a member mounted to move with respect to said door, and automatic means carried by the door for urging said member onev direction, a part on the frame positioned adjacent the door constructed and arranged to engage and move said member in another dire tion when the door is swung toward closed position, and operative connections between said member and section comprising a lower link having a combined pivotal and transitory motion and an upper link restricted to a reciprocating vertical movement, whereby movement, of the membermounted to move with re:- spect. to. said door causes movement of the top section.

2. In a device of the character described in combination with a door, a frame for said door, a hinge. on which said door is mounted in said frame, a: fixed top having a recess abovev said door, a top section of the door corresponding to said recess and hingedly mounted on the top of the door near the edge thereof and constructed and arranged to open and close said recess and to. swing up. and down when the door is opened and closed respectively and laterally movable means mounted on said: door operable by contact with the frame of the door and a link connected to said laterally movablemeans movable in a combined pivotal and transitory motion, an upper link restricted to. a reciprocating vertical movement connected with said top section for swing ing said. section, said means operable by the movement, of said door on the hinge and interleaved sections on said top section and said fixed top whereby a positive closure is effected when saiddoor-is shut.

3. In a deviceof the character described in combination with'a door, a frame for said door, a hinge on which said door is mounted in said frame, a fixedtop having a recess above said door, a top section of the door-corresponding to said: recess and'hingedly mounted on the top of the door near one edge thereof and constructedand arranged to open and close said recess and to. swing up and downwhen. the door is opened and closed respectively, laterally movable means mounted on said door operable by contact with thev frame of the door and a link connected tosaid laterally movable means movable inra combined pivotal and-transitorymotion, an upper link restricted to a reciprocating vertical movement. connected with said top section through verticallymovable means whereby movement ofsaid: laterallymovable means causes movement of said vertically movable means swinging said top section toyopenand closed position automatically when said door is opened and closed.

Bcfierences Cited. in the. file of this atent UNITED srrnrns PATENTS 

